Cheat Awakening

"Alright, how does this thing even open?" Myne muttered, frustration gnawing at him. The excitement of finding Velvet had waned, replaced by the cold sweat of a mounting crisis. The pod, resembling a glistening cocoon, refused to reveal its secrets. He scrutinized it, searching for a handle, a latch, anything resembling an opening mechanism.

Minutes crawled by, punctuated by the echo of his increasingly heavy breaths.

"This doesn't look good. The door is solid enough to withstand any casual attack. If I use too much force, it will not only harm Velvet but also attract that weird thing's attention. That's the last thing I want in my life was that damn ugly thing chasing behind my ass." Myne concluded, the words tasting like ash in his mouth.

"There must be a way to open it; otherwise, how did they put Velvet inside? I just have to understand it... Think, Myne, think," Myne growled at himself, suddenly slapping his forehead. "Yes, how could I forget about that thing? Staying inside that thing for too long makes my brain slow."

Hope flickered in his chest, like a fragile flame in the wind. With trembling hands, he focused on the pod, desperately use the appraisal skill to work its magic.

[ Name: Dreamstrucker Pod

Grade: ???

Attribute: Dark

Description: A special pod created by Albangarous Lomanhelishin Malethraxelotharionis to extract his prey's emotions, such as fear, happiness, excitement, etc., and vitality and soul slowly, to be fully enjoyed by the person inside the Main Hub leaving only a hollow shell behind.

This pod is always filled with vitality liquid, which not only weakens the mental defences of the person inside but also allows them to stay alive without the need for sustenance. The person inside the pod can live for two months without needing anything. However, if the person inside is provided with food from other sources, the time limit can extend to four months.

The pod is connected to the Main Hub, from which it is operated. Any change in settings or shutdown processes can only be done from there.

Special Note: Please don't try to forcibly bring out the person inside the pod; otherwise, their consciousness can be lost in a dream world, and their real body would go into a coma state until the end of their life.]

"F*cking hell! Lost in a dream world? Does such a place even exist?" Myne spat the curse a bitter tang on his tongue. He wiped the cold sweat clinging to his forehead, the words from the appraisal echoing in his skull like a death knell. Thank God he hadn't acted impulsively, tugging Velvet out of that pod. The consequences, he shuddered to think, would have been a lifetime of regret.

Myne gaze darted around the room, searching for the "Main Hub" mentioned in the inscription. Soon, his eyes snagged on the solitary, imposing pod in the center, its sleek surface bisected by a thick, pulsating tube that coiled up like a venomous serpent. The pieces clicked into place. This, this was the key.

Every Dreamstrucker pod was connected to this central unit, a monstrous spider weaving its webs of terror.

[ Name: Dreamstrucker Pod's Main Hub

Grade: ???

Attribute: Dark

Description: The operator and main power unit of the Dreamstrucker pod. It is a special controller created by Albangarous Lomanhelishin Malethraxelotharionis to control 25 Dreamstrucker pods. All kinds of energy absorbed by the Dreamstrucker pod are sent back to it and stored in a storage unit.

When the host lies inside it, the storage unit immediately starts purifying these energies and sends them inside the host's body to enhance it. The Main hub can operate on both MANA Stone and Soul Stone. 100 high-level Mana Stones or 1 Soul Stone are enough to make it run for one Hell Year nonstop.

There are many different settings in the main hub from which the host can decide what to do with energy, like enhancing the soul, body, vitality, or lifespan—anything can be done. The Main hub currently operates in the native demonic language, but it can be changed with enough authorization.

After the host lies inside the main hub, he will be sent to the dreamscape from which he can control or create new dreams for the people inside the Dreamstrucker Pod...

...

...

...

To get out of the dreamland, the host has to pronounce "ᚾᛟ ᚲᚨᚾ" (Ghrøkk-shtæm).]

..."

"Whoever wrote this much nonsense deserves a deep bow... It was undoubtedly the first time my Appraisal skill had presented such a detailed description of anything; previously, introductions were brief, and cases were closed with just a few words. It seemed even my skill knew a thing or two about discrimination...

But I had to admit, Alban's naming skill was truly stuck," Myne a nervous chuckle escaped him, a desperate attempt to bolster his courage. He already knew everything he needed to and was ready to save his sweet little kitty from the nightmare world before she lost more of her vitality.

With such thoughts in mind, Myne pushed aside the hatch atop the Main Hub and prepared to climb in, when a sudden realization hit him. He hurriedly got out of the main hub, attempting to push it, but it seemed as if it were glued to the ground. No matter what he did, he couldn't move it an inch. Sighing helplessly, Myne immediately moved to plan B.

Instead of shifting the main hub aside, he used his Realize skill to create a copy of the main hub in front of it, then concealed the original one with his illusion skill.

"I hope this level of preparation will save me a few minutes if something unexpected happens," Praying Lady Luck that he will even become her boy toy if she bestows upon him enough luck to save Velvet without any problems. Finally, he slid into the Hub, the hatch sealing him in with a soft click.

As soon as he closed the hatch, a mysterious energy started releasing from every part of the pod, entering Myne's body. Right at that moment, a few words, presumably in the native demonic language based on the description, appeared inside his mind. Curious to know what those words meant, Myne realized he had to choose one for the next phase.

Mentally clicking on the largest-looking word, he shivered in enjoyment as if experiencing an orgasm. The feeling mirrored the relief of abandoning hard work in the summer sun, running towards the bathroom, and pouring cold water on a hot body to soothe the soul.

"Moan... This is so wonderful," Myne, making a face that could even make the biggest pervert in the world feel shame, wanted to relish that incredible sensation. However, suddenly, everything in front of him turned dark, and he lost consciousness.

...

"Damn it, I wanted to enjoy that feeling more," Myne, who hadn't even opened his eyes after regaining his senses, immediately started complaining like a child.

After venting his frustration, Myne slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, what greeted him was complete darkness in front of him. He looked left and right, but nothing had changed; everything was covered in darkness.

"Now, what's the matter with this situation? Is something wrong because I'm not a demon?" Myne muttered, frustration simmering into worry. Suddenly, he noticed something strange under his feet. He glanced down... and down... and down...

The ground had vanished, replaced by a dizzying expanse of nothingness. Myne's face lost all its colour as he realized he was hovering probably thousands of meters high in the sky.

"Haaa, haa, haa, haa, f*ck, why am I in the sky?" Myne, while trying to calm down his heart, cursed loudly. He looked down again, only to realize one thing – he was scared of extreme heights, especially when he knew that he couldn't use his teleportation skill.

Myne, who was having a panic attack, tried to think of any way to get down to the ground. However, due to fear, his brain had already stopped its job, hiding in a random corner and writing its will.

This process lasted for the next few minutes. Even then, with no sign of falling like a meteorite, Myne couldn't help but boldly start thinking of braver things.

"Wait a minute. If this is the dream world created by the main hub, and currently, I am the main operator, then won't I be able to do what I want just by thinking?"

Suddenly, a weird thought came to Myne's mind. He focused a bit and thought about slowly flying toward the ground.

Myne's thoughts were inexplicably whimsical, lacking any semblance of logic, yet within the enchanting confines of this magical realm, filled with wonders of all kinds. As the notion crossed Myne's mind, a sudden gust of air brushed against his face, and his body began a gradual descent toward the ground.

Upon reaching a certain height, Myne beheld the very same haunting town from his dreams, shrouded in darkness and devoid of any signs of life. Myne took control of his descent, hovering over the town in search of Velvet. Along the way, he couldn't help but notice a peculiar change – previously, in his dreams, whenever he reached a certain height, three-eyed crows would aggressively assail him.

However, now, even if he approached them directly or circled around behind them, they simply ignored him, as if he were invisible.

"You damn crows! You caused me quite a bit of trouble before. What's the matter now? Don't feel like pecking me to death with your beaks? Huh? Why the silent treatment, you wretched crows?" Myne exclaimed in frustration.

"Tsk, cowardly crows. Go f*ck yourselves!" he vented, releasing the accumulated frustration from before, before slowly start flying away from the flock of crows.